Latching device for vacuum cleaners



y 8, 1940. Aj' w. KANDETZKI 2, 2,056

LATCHING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1IN VENTOR.

4422 ATT RN Y.

May 28, 1940. A. w. KANDETZKI 2,202,055

LATCHING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. m ATTO Patented May 28,1940

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCHIN'G DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERSAlbert William Kandetzki, Stamford, Conn, as-

signor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 21, 1937, Serial No. 181,017

7 Claims. (Cl. 292-51) My invention relates to latching devices for theright. The flow of air produced by the closures of vacuum cleaners andmore particmotor fan unit draws air in through the cleaning ularly forvacuum cleaners of. the type having tool H which carries with it dust ordirt located an enclosed dust bag. on the surface which the cleaningtool ll con- In vacuum cleaners of this'type it is desirable tacts. Theair passes from the cleaning tool 5 to remove the dust bag or dustseparating memll through the tubular member I4, flexible hose.

her from the vacuum cleaner casing periodically l3 and through anaperture 22 in the closure for emptying the dust contained therein. Inacmember I6 entering the cleaning unit I2. The cordance with myinvention, an improved closure dirt carried by the air is separatedtherefrom as 10 member is removably secured to the vacuum it passesthrough the dust bag 15. The air then 10 cleaner casing; secures thedust bag in position continues through the fan 2|, motor 20 and out andpermits its ready removal and replacement. an exhaust opening 23. Aftera certain amount What I consider to be novel and my invention of dustand dirt has collected in the dust bag l5 maybe better understood byreference to the it is desirable to remove the dust bag l5 and followingspecification and appended claims when empty the dirt therefrom. Tofacilitate the 15 considered in connection with the accompanyingemptying of the dust bag l5 closure member l6 drawings, in which isprovided with means for its ready removal and Fig. 1 is a side view of avacuum cleaner broken replacement as will be pointed out below. away inpart and incorporating my improved A hollow dish-shaped casting 24 formsthe closure member; front surface of the closure member IS with an 20Fig. 2 is a front view of the closure member; opening 25 through whichan operating handle Fig. 3 is a back view of the closure member; 26extends. The rear of the casting 24 is cov- Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional view of the cloered by a back plate 21. Located at oppositesure member and a portion of the vacuum sides of back plate 21 are twoboss receiving 25 Cleaner; openings 28 into which detents 29 extend. A25 Fig, 5 is an enlarged rear view of the closure ring 30 is secured tothe casing 3| of cleaner member with the back plate removed; unit l2 bymeans of screws 32 and has an in- Fig. 6 is a detailed view of a portionof the wardly extending flange 33 which forms a seat locking mechanismwith the parts shown in diffor dust bag ring flange It as best indicatedin 30 ferent relative positions than the parts of Fig. 5; Fig. 4. Ring30 is provided with forwardly ex- -30 Fig. '7 is a detailed view of aportion of the tending bosses 34 which are adapted to enter the vacuumcleaner end ring; boss receiving openings 28 in back plate 21 into Fig.8 is a detailed sectional view taken along a position to be engaged bydetents 29. Fingers the line 8-8 of Fig. 5; 35 which carry detents 29are pivotally secured to 35 Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view takenalong a frame plate 36 by means of pins 31. By refer- 35 line 9-9 ofFig. 5; and ence to Fig. 8 it may be seen that the frame plate Fig. 10is a, detailed sectional view similar to 36 is mounted on posts 38 and39 integral with the Fig. 4 but with the handle in a difierent position.casting 24 by means of drive secrews 40. Detents Referring to thedrawings l0 indicates gen- 29, when in the position indicated in Figs. 3and 5,

4o erally a vacuum cleaner of the enclosed bag type enter side pockets4| provided in bosses 34 and 40 'in which a cleaning tool II isconnected to a engage inclined surfaces 42 of springs 43. Springscleaner unit l2 by means of a flexible hose I3 43 are mounted onintegral posts 44 of ring 30. with or without a substantially rigidtubular A cover plate 45 is secured to posts 44 together member I4. Adust separating member or dust with spring 43 by means of drive screws46. A.

45 bag I5 is located in the unit l2 and is secured bumper 41 of rubberor other flexible material 45 therein by means of a closure member t6.Dust is located between spring 43 and cover plate 45 bag l5, as may bestbe seen by reference'to Fig. with a portion extending through an openingin 4, is provided with a dust bag ring II with an the top of cover plate45 shown at the left in Fig. outwardly extending flange I8. Acompressible 7. Bumper 41 serves to protect the bosses 34 asket IQ ofU-shape is snapped over the flange from injury by contact with theclosure mem- 50 I8. her it.

A motor fan unit consisting of a motor 20 and Fingers 35 are providedwith pinion teeth 48 a multistage centrifugal fan 2| produces a flowwhich are engaged for movement of the detents of air from the front ofthe cleaning unit I2, 29 by the teeth 49 of a sliding rack bar 50. Rackshown at the left in Fig. 1, to the rear shown at bar 50 is secured toframe 36 by means of two 55 headed pins 5| which extend through slots 52in the rack bar 50. When the rack bar 59 is in the position indicated inFig. 5, detents 29 extend outwardly entering the pockets 4| and engagingthe inclined surfaces 42 of springs 43. When the rack bar 59 is movedupwardly the fingers 35 are pivoted moving the detents 29 downwardly outfrom the pockets 4| of bosses 34 to the retracted position indicated inFig. 6. The movement of the sliding rack bar 59 in this direction isstopped by engagement of the end of slots 52 with the pins 5|.

For movement of the rack bar 50 in the direction of the arrows A, fromone position to another, turn block 53 is provided and mounted by meansof pivot pin 54 and brackets 55 on casting 24. Brackets 55 are securedto casting 24 by means of drive screws 56. Pivot pin 54 is secured tobrackets 55 by means of a cotter pin 51. Handle 26 extending out throughthe opening 25 in casting 24 is connected to the turn block 53. As shownin the drawing, the handle 26 is cast integrally with the turn block 53.A pin 58 is car ried by turn block 53 and engages in slots 59 in ears 60of rack bar 5|].

A toggle mechanism 6| is connected between turn block 53 and casting 24for holding the turn block 53 in one or the other of its extremepositions. A toggle link 62 of toggle mechanism 6| is connected to turnblock 53 by a pivot pin 63. Another toggle link 64 is connected tocasting 24 by a pivot pin 65 and a bracket 66. Bracket 66 is connectedto casting 24 by drive screws 61. A helically wound spring 68 surroundsthe two links 62 and 64 and tends to urge them apart.

When the operating handle 26 is in the position indicated in Fig. 4, therack bar 5|] is in the position indicated in Fig. 5 with the detents 29extending outwardly into engagement with the springs 43 located in thepockets 4| of bosses 34. When the operating handle 26 is moved away fromthe casting 24 of closure member I6 to the position indicated in Fig. 10the turn block 53 is rotated in a counter clockwise direction and bymeans of the pin and slot engagement with rack bar 50 the latter ismoved upwardly. This rotates the fingers 35 moving the detents 29downwardly and out of the pockets 4| of bosses 34. Easy movement of therack bar 50 by the turn block 53 is assured by two rollers 69 carried onthe ends of pin 58. Lateral movement of the pin 58 and rollers 69 isprevented by upturned ears I0 integral with frame plate 36.

In the assembly of the locking mechanism within the casting 24 ofclosure member I6 the handle 26 and turn block 53' together with thetoggle mechanism 6| are secured to the casting 24 by the drive screws 56and 61. The fingers 35 and rack bar 50 are secured to the frame plate36. Frame plate 36 is then secured to the casting 24 by means of drivescrews 40. An insulating bushing 'II with a metal sleeve I2 and rubbergasket I3 are secured in the aperture 22 bymeans of screws I4. The backplate 21 is then secured to the rear of casting 24 by a plurality ofdrive screws I5. The back plate 2! is also connected to the assembly ofbushing 'II and sleeve I2 by means of screws I6. The assembly of theclosure member I6 is then complete and ready for use.

In the operation of the vacuum cleaner I0 dirt and dust is picked up bythe cleaning tool II which passes through the tube I4 and flexible hoseI3 into the vacuum cleaner unit I2. The dirt and dust is separated fromthe air passing through the cleaning unit I2 by means of the dust bagI5. The air then continues through the fan 2| and motor 29 and leavesthe cleaning unit I2 through the exhaust openings 23. After the cleaningunit I2 has been operating for a while it is advantageous to remove thedust bag I5 and empty the dust collected Within it. This may beaccomplished by grasping the operating handle 26 of the closure memberI6 and moving it away from the casting 24. As the handle 26 is moved inthis direction the turn block 53 is rotated in a counter clockwisedirection against the bias of spring 68 of toggle mechanism 6|. When theturn block 53 rotates pin 58 in a counter clockwise direction the pin 58and rolers 69, in engagement with the slots 59, move the rack bar 59upwardly. Due to the movement of the rack bar 50 upwardly the fingers 35are pivoted about the pins 37 and detents 29 moved downwardly out of thepockets 4| of bosses 34. When the detents 29 have been moved to thefully retracted position, the closure member I6 may be removed from thering 30 by continued movement of the hand grasping the operating handle26 in the same general direction in which it is moved to release thedetents 29. The dust bag I5 may then be removed from the casing 3| ofthe cleaning unit I2.

After the dust bag I5 has been emptied it may be replaced within thecasing 3|. The closure member I6 is then replaced on the ring 30 bygrasping the handle 26 which is in the open position, or if not in thisposition should first be moved to the open position. The closure memberI 6 is then placed on the ring 30 with the bosses 34 entering the bossreceiving openings 28 of back plate 21. After the closure member I6 isseated in position on the ring 30, the handle 26 is moved toward thecasting 24. As the handle is moved in this direction the turn block 53is rotated in a clockwise direction against the bias of spring 68 oftoggle mechanism 6 I. The rack 50 is moved downwardly through theinterconnection of the pin 58, carried by turn block 53, and slots 59and the ears 66'. As the rack bar 50 moves downwardly, the fingers 35are pivoted moving the i 34. When the operating handle 26 has been movedto the fully closed position the turn block 53 and rack bar 50 togetherwith the detents 29 are held in the closure engaging position by thetoggle mechanism 6|. When the closure member I6 is removed from the ring30 and replaced on'it, it is unnecessary to disconnect the flexible hoseI3 from the aperture 22 as it may be moved with the closure member I6.

What I claim is:

l. A latching mechanism including a hollow dish-shaped member, a handleextending outwardly through an opening in said member, a turn blockconnected to said handle, a bracket secured within said member forpivotally mounting said turn block, a toggle mechanism conto said memberhaving openings adapted to receive bosses for engagement by saidfingers.

2. In a latching mechanism a member having an opening, brackets securedto said member at opposite sides of said opening, a handle extendingthrough said opening, a pivot pin securing said handle for rotarymovement on said brackets, a toggle mechanism, a pin connecting one sideof said toggle mechanism to said handle, a bracket secured to saidclosure member, a pin connecting the other side of said toggle mechanismto said bracket, a frame secured to said hollow member, a sliding racksecured to said frame and having upstanding cars, a pin secured to saidhandle and engaging said ears, fingers pivotally secured to said frameand engaged by said rack, and a cover plate secured to said memberhaving openings for receiving bosses for engagement by said fingers.

3. A latching mechanism including a hollow dish-shaped member having anopening, a turn block pivotally mounted on said member, a handleconnected tosaid turn block extending through said opening, a togglemechanism connected between said member and said turn block, a frame,two fingers pivotally secured to said frame, a sliding rack secured tosaid frame for moving said pivoted fingers, and a pin carried by saidturn block and engaging said sliding rack whereby movement of saidhandle is transmitted to said fingers.

4. A latching mechanism including a hollow member, a turn blockpivotally secured within said hollow member, a handle connected to saidturn block, a toggle mechanism connected between said turn block andsaid hollow member, a frame secured to said hollow member, a pivotedfinger carried by said frame, a sliding rack.

engaging said pivoted finger, a pin carried by said turn block: looselyengaging said sliding rack, a d a back plate secured to said hollowmember having an openingfor receiving a boss to be engaged by saidpivoted finger.

5. A latching mechanismincluding a hollow dish-shaped casting having anopening, brackets mounted at each side of said opening, a turn block, apivot pin mounting said turn block for rotary movement on said brackets,a handle extending through said opening and engaging said turn block, aframe plate rigidly secured to said casting, a sliding rack carried bysaid frame plate having upstanding ears, pivoted fingers carried by saidframe plate and engaging said rack, said fingers adapted to engagebosses extending from said casing, and a pin carried by said turn blockand engaging the ears ofzsaid rack for moving the rack from one extremeposition to another.

6. In a latching mechanism including a supporting member, a frame platesecured to said member; a sliding rack and pivoted fingers car-' ried bysaid frame plate; a handle secured to said member, extending through anopening therein, and engaging said rack to move said fingers from alatching position to a retracted position and vice versa, and a backplate for said member.

'7. In a latching mechanism including a hollow dish-shaped casting, aframe plate, a sliding rack carried by said frame plate havingupstanding ears, fingers pivotally carried by said frame plate engagingsaid sliding rack, a handle extending through an opening in saidcasting, a pin carried by said handle loosely engaging the ears of saidsliding rack, said frame plate having ears extending along the sides ofthe ears of said- I sliding rack preventing lateral movement of the pin,carried by said handle, a toggle mechanism connected between saidcasting and said handle, and a back plate for said casting.

ALBERT WILLIAM KAN'DETZKI.

